Measuring oil-tank



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.) I

' W. T. WITHERS.

MEASURING OIL TANK.

Patend June 7 1887.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet W. T. WITHERS.

- V MEASURING 01L TANK. V No. 364,326. Patented June 7, 1887.

WITNESSES: I

N. rrrzas Phchl-ilho mpher. Wail-Japan. D. a v

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM T. \VITHERS, OF LIBERTY, MISSOURI.

MEASURING OIL-TANK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,326, dated June 7, 1887.

Application filed March 29, 1880. Serial No. 196,898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM T. WITHERs, of Liberty, Clay county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Measuring Tanks for Oil, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying' drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to measuring-faucets; and it consists of certain features of construction, which will be more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, which illustrate the manner of carrying out my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a valve-casing, in which the measuring-valve operates, shown detached from the measuring-eompartment in conjunction with which it cooperates. Fig. 2 is a detail View of the measuring-valve detached from its casing and having its upper packingring removed. Fig. 3 isa sectional elevation of a measuring'compartment as it would appear when ready for operation,'the section being taken on a line that is longitudinal as regards the compartment. Fig. 4 is a view of a measuring-compartment attached to a portion of the main tank. Fig. 5 is a view of a measuringcompartment detached from the tank and having the measuring-valveremoved from position therein. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a floating valve that is to be located at the lower end of the air-tubes which supply air to the measuringcompartments. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of my tank in a modified form and ready to be supplied with trucks to form a portable deliverytank for use in cities; and Fig.8 'is a per' spective View of the tank in its ordinary form, a portion of the sides and apart of the bottom being broken away to exhibit the measuringeompartments, which are located below the said bottom.

The letter A indicates the body of the main tank, which in Fig. 8 is provided with a bottom, 22. The bottom 22 isloeated in the tank at some distance above the floor, so as to afford sufficient room beneath it for the measuringcompartments B B B.

The measuringcompartments, and, in fact, the entire body of the tank, should be formed of sheet metal, and the upper sides of the com- (No model.)

partments or measures areprovided with an opening, t, through which the oil from thet-ank above may flow to fill the measure.

The top of the tank A should be provided with a plug, 3, which can be removed when the tank is to be filled, as shown.

For the purpose of allowing the entrance of a limited amount of air to the interior of the tank A to take the place of the liquid that is drawn into the measures, a spring-valve or a suitable'deviceof some kind which will close automatically after the measure has been filled,

and which is represented by the letter h in Fig. 7, should be located upon or very near the upper side of the main tank; but, if preferred, a small hole in the top of the tank can be made and will answer every purpose.

There may be provided below the bottom of the tank A a series of measuring-compare ments having different capacities, and representing a gallon, a quart, or a pint, &c., as shown in Fig. 8.

By pressing upon the'handle of the springvalve 7b with the thumb or finger air will be admitted to the interior of the tank A, and when said handle is released the valve will close automatically.

The end of the compartments or measures that is nearest to the side of the tank is formed with a recess, B, so that the measures may fit closely to the side of the tank and still allow the free operation of the measuring-valves. A casing, O, for containing the valve E is securely attached to the recessed end of each of the compartments, and its upper end engages the hole t in the top of the compartments,and

its lower portion engages the hole t in the upper side of the recess and'cxtends down wardl y and to the bottom side of the measure, where it is fitted with a removable cap, a.

The valvecasing Chas an opening, H, near its upper end, which communicates with the interior of the measure, and near its lower end a similar opening, II, is formed, which also communicates with the inside of the measure, and which may be termed the exitpassage. Upon the front side of the casing and about midway of its length a portion of the metal is cut away, so as to form a passage or a recess, H, in which the inner end of the'valve-operating lever E is located. Just below this last IOC named recess or passage in the casing O, and diametrically opposite the exit-passage H,the spout fis located, and it may be secured to the casing in any suitable manner.

The valve E consists of astem, E", to which the inner end of the hand-lever E is attached by means of the link d, and a reduced portion, E, at each end, upon which rubber packingrings are removably located. Rubber ring D is located on the lower end of the valve-stem, and ring D is located on the upper end of the same. Said rings are adapted to fit the bore of the casing O comparatively tight, so that all leaking will be prevented. The rubber rings can be removed when worn and others can be substituted by removing the screw 23 and the washer 24, which are secured to the ends of the stem; and by tightening down the washer 24, by means ofthe screw 23, the rings will be expanded circumfercntially, and they will be made to fit closer thebore of the casi ng. This can be done whenever desired.

By removing the cap a from the lower end ofthe casing O, the valve E can be withdrawn from its position, and any obstruction which may get into the measure can then be-removcd.

The hand-lever E is fulcrumed upon a bracket, 19, which is secured to the side of the tank, and said lever operates in avertical slot formed in the side of the tank. In Fig. 7 this slot is indicated by the letter 11.

Eachmeasure is supplied with an air-tube, 2, which extends from the top of the measure upwardly and opens outside of the main tank at a point, such as 9, near the top of the tank. The air-tubes have no communication with the interior of the tank A, their purpose being simply to supply air to the measures and thereby allow them to be quickly emptied after they have been filled.

The lower end of the air-tube 2 is provided with an enlargement, 5, which projects downwardly into the measure a short distance, and a floating valve or a cork, 3, is adapted to opcrate in the enlargement and close the airtube when the measure has been completely filled, and thereby prevent the liquid from passing up the said tube. For the purpose of guiding the airsvalve 3 in a vertical line and during its movements a rod or stem, 1, is located in the tube and carries the valve on its lower end, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6.

The letter it indicates the opening inthe measures through which the air-tube passes.

'Each of the measures may be supplied with a glass gage, g, which should be so connected to the measure that the position of the liquid in the same can be determined by a glance at the gage.

'In the modification of my tank shown in Fig. 7 the measures will be located in the rectangular box B, and the-handlevers will project from the outer end of the box.

When the different parts are constructed as has been described, the operation thereof will be about as follows: The inlet and outlet passages in the casing G are so constructed that by pressing down upon the outer end of the handle E the exit-passage H will be uncovered by the rubber ring D, and the liquid that is contained in the measure will run out by way of the spoutf, and at the same time the inlet opening or passage H from the main tank will be closed by the ring D, thus preventing more than the required quantity of liquid from running into the measure. In fact, the ring D should be made long enough to cover the exit-passage H until the inletpassage H has been closed by the ring D. Pressing the lever or handle E upward closes the exit-passage and opens the inlet-passage from the main tank, and so allows the measure to refill at once; hence it is that the movement which opens the inlet-passage to the measure also closes the passage that leads to the dis charge-spout.

I do not herein broadly claim a tank provided with fixed measures having faucets which will admit fluids into the measure when the valve is moved in one direction and will empty the measure when it is turned in an opposite direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. The combination, in a self-measuring oiltank, of a faucet provided with inlet and outlet openings and containing a valvestem having reduced ends, carrying elastic packingrings, an operating-lever hinged to said valvestem by means of a link, such as d, and a measure provided with an air-vent and a recess, such as B through which said faucet extends and in which the lever operates, all arranged and adapted to operate as described.

2. A self-measuring tank for oils, &c., con sisting of the body A, having a tight cover and one or more self'filling measures, such as B, located below said body, and having an airvent, such as 2, extending through the body A, and a recesss, B, in said measure for the purpose described,in combination witha valvecasing which extends through the entire height of the measure and in which a valve operates, the valve-stem having removable elastic packing-rings located on its ends, a device for securing and expanding said packing-rings, and a lever and link for operating said valve, all arranged to operate substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM T. WITHERS.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. NORTON, J. O. HIGDON.

III 

